2007 ORS
479.540¹

Exemptions

• rules

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, a person is not required to obtain a license to make an electrical installation on residential or farm property that is owned by the person or a member of the person’s immediate family if the property is not intended for sale, exchange, lease or rent. The following apply to the exemption established in this subsection:

(a) The exemption established for a person under this subsection does not exempt the work performed by the person from having to comply with the requirements for such work under ORS chapter 455 or this chapter and rules adopted thereunder.

(b) If the property is a building used as a residence and is for rent, lease, sale or exchange, this subsection establishes an exemption for work on, alterations to or replacement of parts of electrical installations as necessary for maintenance of the existing electrical installations on that property, but does not exempt new electrical installations or substantial alterations to existing electrical installations on that property. As used in this paragraph, "new electrical installations or substantial alterations" does not include the replacement of an existing garbage disposal, dishwasher or electric hot water heater with a similar appliance of 30 amps or less, single phase, by a landlord, landlord’s agent or the employee of the landlord or landlord’s agent.

(2) An electrical contractor license is not required in connection with an electrical installation:

(a) Of meters and similar devices for measuring electricity by a person principally engaged in the business of generating or selling electricity in connection with the construction or maintenance of electrical lines, wires or equipment.

(b) Of ignition or lighting systems for motor vehicles.

(c) To be made by a person on the person’s property in connection with the person’s business.

(3) A person whose sole business is generating or selling electricity in connection with the construction or maintenance of electrical lines, wires or equipment, is not required to obtain a license to transform, transmit or distribute electricity from its source to the service head of the premises to be supplied thereby.

(4)(a) A person is not required to obtain a license for the repair or replacement of light fixtures, light switches, lighting ballast, electrical outlets or smoke alarms in a building used for housing purposes that is owned, leased, managed or operated by a housing authority and the person doing the repair or replacement is a member of the housing authority’s regular maintenance staff.

(b) A license is not required for:

(A) Temporary demonstrations;

(B) A street lighting system located on a public street or in a right of way if the system is similar to a system provided by a public utility and the installation or maintenance, or both, is performed by a qualified employee of a licensed electrical contractor principally engaged in the business of installing and maintaining such systems; or

(C) An outdoor transmission or distribution system, whether overhead or underground, if the system is similar to a system provided by a public utility and the installation or maintenance, or both, is performed by a qualified employee of a licensed electrical contractor principally engaged in the business of installing and maintaining such systems.

(c) For the purposes of this subsection, "qualified employee" means an employee who has registered with or graduated from a State of Oregon or federally approved apprenticeship course designed for the work being performed. The supervising electrician signature required under ORS 479.560 (Issuance of permit) (1)(b) does not apply to contractors working under this subsection.

(b) To electrical installations made by or for a public utility, consumer-owned utility, telecommunications carrier or competitive telecommunications provider if the electrical installations are an integral part of the equipment or electrical products of the utility, carrier or provider; or

(c) To any electrical generation plant owned or operated by a municipality to the same extent that a utility, telecommunications carrier or competitive telecommunications provider is exempted under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection.

(6) A permit is not required:

(a) For the repair or replacement of light fixtures, light switches, lighting ballast, electrical outlets or smoke alarms in a building used for housing purposes that is owned, leased, managed or operated by a housing authority; or

(b) For the repair, alteration or replacement of existing electrical products or electrical installations authorized by ORS 479.560 (Issuance of permit) (3) at an industrial plant, a commercial office building, a building that is owned, leased, managed or operated by the state or a local government entity or other facilities designated by the Electrical and Elevator Board when the owner, operating manager or electrical contractor of the facility meets the provisions of ORS 479.630 (Requirements for obtaining licenses) (1) and (2) and:

(7) In cases of emergency in industrial plants, a permit is not required in advance for electrical installation made by a person licensed as a general supervising electrician, a general journeyman electrician or an electrical apprentice under ORS 479.630 (Requirements for obtaining licenses) if an application accompanied by appropriate fee for a permit is submitted to the Department of Consumer and Business Services within five days after the commencement of such electrical work.

(8)(a) A license or permit is not required for the installation or assembly of industrial electrical equipment by the duly authorized agents of the factory, vendor or owner.

(b) The license and permit exemptions of this subsection do not apply to activity in an area where industrial electrical equipment is installed in or enters a hazardous location or penetrates or enters a fire rated assembly or plenum rated assembly.

(c) As used in this subsection:

(A) "Duly authorized agents" means individuals trained by the factory or a vendor or by experience and who are knowledgeable in the operation, maintenance, repair and installation of industrial electrical equipment.

(B) "Installation or assembly" means the reassembly at a job site of equipment that is wired and assembled at the factory and then disassembled for shipping purposes or of existing equipment that is relocated. "Installation or assembly" does not include work involving field fabricated assemblies or any other electrical product that is not an original part of the industrial electrical equipment. "Installation or assembly" does not include the connection of industrial electrical equipment to a power source.

(b) Electrical installations and repairs involving remote and permanent broadcast systems of radio and television stations licensed by the Federal Communications Commission if the systems are not part of the building’s permanent wiring.

(c) The installing, maintaining, repairing or replacement of telecommunications systems on the provider side of the demarcation point by a telecommunications service provider.

(d) The maintaining, repairing or replacement of telecommunications equipment on the customer side of the demarcation point by a telecommunications service provider.

(e) Installations, by a telecommunications service provider or an appropriately licensed electrical contractor, of telecommunications systems on the customer side of the demarcation point except:

(A) Installations involving more than 10 telecommunications outlets; and

(B) Installations of any size that penetrate fire-resistive construction or air handling systems or that pass through hazardous locations.

(f) Notwithstanding paragraph (e) of this subsection, installation of telecommunications systems on the customer side of the demarcation point in:

(A) One and two family dwellings; and

(B) Multifamily dwellings having not more than four dwelling units if the installation is by a telecommunications service provider.

(g) Notwithstanding paragraph (e) of this subsection, installation or replacement of cord or plug connected telecommunications equipment on the customer side of the demarcation point.

(h) Notwithstanding paragraph (e) of this subsection, installation of patch cord and jumper cross-connected equipment on the customer side of the demarcation point.

(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, the exemption under this subsection applies to:

(A) The rotating equipment portion of power generation equipment.

(B) Testing equipment used in a laboratory or hospital.

(C) Commercial electrical air conditioning equipment.

(D) Prefabricated work performed by an electrical contractor with licensed electrical personnel in the contractor’s place of business for assembly on the job site if the work is composed of parts that meet the electrical product safety standards established by concurrence of the board and the director.

(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection, the board may require any of the products described in paragraph (a) of this subsection to be subject to the certification requirements under ORS 479.760 (Certification of electrical products) if the board determines that the product or class of products has presented a fire or life safety hazard in use. A determination under this paragraph shall be effective as to any such product or class of products installed after the date of the determination becomes final. The board may reinstate any exemption removed under this paragraph if the board determines that the reasons for the removal of the exemption have been corrected.

(14) A person who holds a limited maintenance specialty contractor license or a limited pump installation specialty contractor license issued under ORS 479.510 (Short title) to 479.945 (Restricted energy contractor's license) or a person who is the employee of such license holder and who is listed with the board as an employee is not required to have a journeyman license or supervising electrician’s license to perform work authorized under the person’s license.

(15) A person is not required to obtain a permit for work on, alterations to or replacement of parts of electrical installations as necessary for maintenance of existing electrical installations on residential property owned by the person or by a member of the person’s immediate family. This subsection does not establish an exemption for new electrical installations or substantial alterations to existing electrical installations.

(16) A permit is not required for those minor electrical installations for which the board has authorized an installation label.

(17) A residential home, as defined in ORS 443.580, and an adult foster home, as defined in ORS 443.705 (Definitions for ORS 443.705 to 443.825), is not a multifamily dwelling and only electrical installation standards and safety requirements applicable to single family dwellings apply to such homes.

(20) A person is not required to obtain a license to make an electrical installation in a prefabricated structure, as defined in ORS 455.010 (Definitions for ORS chapter 455), that is designed for residential use and intended for delivery in another state.

2 OregonLaws.org contains the con­tents of Volume 21 of the ORS,
inserted along­side the per­tin­ent statutes.
See the preface to the ORS An­no­ta­tions for more information.

3 OregonLaws.org assembles these lists by analyzing references between Sections. Each
listed item refers back to the current Section in its own text. The result reveals
relationships in the code that may not have otherwise been apparent.

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